14-year-old dies in rafting accident on Klickitat River

TRI-CITIES, Wash. (AP) — An eighth-grade student has drowned in a rafting accident on a river near Glenwood, Washington, authorities said.

Jezell Barrera, 14, was part of a family group that took two rafts on the Klickitat River on Saturday when the raft she was on hit an underwater log and flipped, the Tri-City Herald reported.

Barrera was wearing a life jacket but became trapped underwater, Klickitat County coroner David Quesnel said.

The Goldendale Sentinel reported that people on the second raft were able to pull her from the water.

Barrera was born in Richland and was lifelong resident of the Tri-Cities. She is survived by her parents Francisco Barrera and Mergen Bucio.

Barrera was a member of the jazz band and a cheerleader at McLoughlin Middle School.

“She was an amazing cheer sister and made sure everyone on the team didn’t feel left out and made sure that everyone tried her best,” the Pasco Youth Football Cheer program said in a Facebook post.

School counselors and teachers have reached out to classmates to offer support.